Stock-car.



PATENTBD APR. 12, 1904.

J..L. ROUZE.

STOCK GAR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. 1904.

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J. L. ROUZE. STOCK GAR. APBLIOAIION FILED FEB. 5, 1o'o4.

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Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. ROUZE, OF DEGRAFF, OHIO.

STOCK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 757,349, dated. April 12, 1904.

Application filed February 5, 1904. $eria1 No. 192,152. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN L. Room, a citizen of the United States, residing at Degraff, in the county of Logan and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stock-Oars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has for its object to provide a stock-car with a movable floor and a simple and practical means for operating the same, whereby the car may be converted into a single or double deck, as circumstances require, and also to provide means for dividing the car into transverse compartments by means of telescopic gates, thus making every provision for a stock-car that may be conveniently used for housing stock during transportation and in whichthe several operating parts of the car embodying my invention will be both strong and durable and easily manipulated.

The invention consists in a stock-car constructed substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a sectional elevation of a portion of a stock-car embodying my invention, the movable gate and means connecting therewith and the supportingsaddle for the jointedrod not being shown, the movable floor and screws for operating it being shown in full lines in the position they will assume when the car is converted into a double-deck and shown in dotted lines in an elevated position to the roof of the car when movable floor and the jointed rod engaging therewith; Fig. 7, a detail perspective view of the wedge-shaped end of one of the supports for the movable floor; Fig. 8, a horizontal section through the tubular hanger.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a stock-car, shown as partly broken away in Fig. 1 of the drawings, but may be of any suitable length and size and constructed in any preferred manner, as I do not wish to limit my invention to any special construction of stock-car, as the car may be variously modified or changed without in any manner departing from the essential features of the invention, and therefore any detail description of the car is deemed unnecessary, as the attachments comprising my invention may be used with success in stock-cars that have been already constructed and in use.

The car A has the usual roof A, sliding door B, and a vertically-movable floor O, which is provided upon its under side with a slidable panel D to close the space between the door and the movable floor and to admit of the panel being moved in and out of the way when the floor is raised to the roof of the car. This slidable panel may be of any suitable construction and is of a length to equal the width of the door and may be constructed to slide in any suitable manner found best adapted to the purpose.

The movable floor O is of any desirable form and construction and extends the length of the car, and when lowered to position to form a double-deck car it is sustained in its adjusted position by a plurality of supports E, extending along the sides and ends of the car. These supports have wedge-shaped guides a, as shown in detail in Fig. 7 of the drawings, so that when the floor O is lowered it will be guided to the supports and held tightly thereon through the medium of the wedge shaped form of the guides, and thus prevented from lateral movement and rendering the floor when in position perfectly rigid and solid.

The means employed for raising and lowering the movable floor O consists in a jointed screw-rod F of suitablelength and thickness, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings,) the lower end of the rod engaging a screw-threaded nut I), which moves with the floor and suitably connected thereto, said nut being of any desirable construction, or any suitable means may be substituted that will engage the screwrod, so that by turning the rod in the proper direction the floor will be lowered into position to provide a double-deck carvor raised to the roof of the car when not required for use, as shown in dotted lines of Fig. 1 of the drawings. Two of these screw-rods are used, one near each end of the car, and extends up through the roof thereof and is provided with any suitable means, as shown at c, for turning it, such as levers or like devices, which are located under the running-board d of the car, as indicated at d. Over the operating means at the upper end of the screw-rod is a trap-door G, hinged to the running-board and forming a continuation thereof and additional means as a protection to the upper end of the screw-rod. This screw-rod F is jointed, as shown at 6, preferably by means of a tongue and groove connected together by a pivotpin f, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, or,

v if desired, any suitable and well-known means may be employed for jointing the two sections of the screw-rod, so that the lower section may be thrown up in a horizontal position out of the way when the floor C is elevated up to the roof of the car, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The lower end of the screw-rod F has a washer and pin thereon, as shown, g h, respectively, to hold the floor and rod together, or any suitable means may be substituted for this purpose as would be found most practicable, these minor features of construction being subject to many changes, as would be found necessary in the construction of the car.

I have shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the movable floor C in a lowered position for use as an upper deck for the car and in its extreme raised position to the roof of the car, the two positions being shown in full lines and a third position of the movable floor in dotted lines when it is raised upon the screwrods above thejoints thereof, which will enable the lower section of the rods to be swung out to a horizontal position, as shown in dotted lines. When the lower section of the screw-rod F is swung to a horizontal position out of the way, it is held in such position by a supporting-saddle H, secured to the under side of the movable floor C. This saddle H is preferably constructed of a flexible material, such as leather, adapted to engage pins upon the under side of the floor or any projection therefrom, said pins 6 and saddle being shown in, Fig. 6 of the drawings. I do not desire, however, to limit my invention to the saddle H and means of suspending it, as any suitable means may be substituted that will serve as a support for the end of the screw-rod when elevated to a horizontal position.

One end of the saddle His disengaged from the pin a, and after the screw-rod section is brought to a horizontal position the saddle is brought around it and reengaged with the pin, and by further turning the screw-rods the floor will be further raised from the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 1 of the drawings to the position shown in full lines directly under the roof of the car, thereby enabling the car to be used with a single deck and at a moments notice converted from a single-deck stock-car to a double-deck stockcar, as may be required.

A further feature of the invention resides in the vertically-movable gate, (shown at I in Figs. 3 and 4: of the drawings,) which gate may be brought into use when the floor C is elevated to the roof of the car and out of the way. There are two or more of these gates I, which divide the stock-car into any desired number of transverse compartments, so that when different kinds of live stock are required for shipment each kind may be kept separate in its respective compartment, as would be found desirable.

The gate I may be of any suitable construction and is provided with upright guides 1', connected thereto through the medium of suitable blocks 'orwashers k, said guides engaging tubular hangers J, suspended from the under side of the floor C, as shown in Figs. 3 and Lof the drawings. This tubular hanger has a longitudinal slot Z throughout its length, through which extends a set-screw m, the point of said screw pressing against the guide j and holding the gate in a lowered position for use or in an elevated position.

The tubular hangers J are arranged in pairs, two for each gate, or an additional number may be used, as founddesirable, and when in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 1 of the drawings the stock-car is divided off into a plurality of transverse compartments. These tubular hangers J are loosely suspended from the under side of the floor C by means of a suitable loop a, which is secured thereto and engaging an eye '0 on the end of the tubular hanger.

When the gate and tubular hanger is not in use, it is shown as raised to the top of the car and under the floor (l and is held in such position by means of a screw p, extending througha bracket q, depending from the floor, the point of the screw forming a support for the end of the gate to hold it up out of the way.

Any suitable means may be substituted for that shown to render the tubular hanger loosely suspended from the movable floor, so that it may be easily brought to an upright position when the gate is to be brought into use and in a horizontal position when not required for use, and I wish it distinctly understood that so far as the gate and the tubular hanger therefor are concerned the movable floor may be operated by an unjointed or solid screw or by any other means found best adapted to the purpose.

When the jointed screw-rod F is not in use or when the floor C is raised to the roof of the car and the lower section of the rod is brought to ahorizontal position and supported at its end by the saddle hereinbefore described or whatever means are employed for supporting the end of the screw-rod, the lower section of the screw-rod in such position will form a lock for the floor, and no matter how the screw-rod is turned the fioor will remain stationary, the floor being effectually locked in its raised position by the lower section of the rod when brought to a horizontal position, thereby serving the function of a lock to the floor.

In describing the several details of construction it is evident that the several parts of the car comprising my invention may be constructed of metal and Wood or any suitable material found most preferable, and many changes or modifications in the various parts of the invention may be resorted to without in any way departing from the essential features thereof.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A stock-car and a movable floor for converting said car from a single-deck to a double-deck car, and means for operating said fioor, comprising an upright screw-rod, said screw-rod being jointed whereby its lower section may be swung up to a horizontal position after the floor has been raised to the roof of the car, and means for supporting the rod in said horizontal position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A stock-car and a movable floor therefor, and a suitable screw-rod for raising or lowering said floor, and a plurality of upright supports for the floor to rest upon when brought into use, said supports having wedge-shaped guides for guiding the floor to the supports and rigidly supporting it while in use, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A stock-car, a movable floor, a plurality of supports therefor having wedge-shaped guides at their upper ends, a jointed screwrod for operating the floor, means for holding the lower section of the jointed screw-rod in a horizontal position, and a slidable panel upon the under side of the movable floor to close the space between the floor and the door of the Earl, substantially as and for the purpose speci- 4:. A stock-car and movable floor with means for operating it, and tubular hangers depending therefrom, and a gate slidingly connecting with the hangers, and means for holding the hangers and gate in a horizontal position under the floor when not required for use, and means for holding the gate in an extended position for use or in a closed position in the hanger, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. ROUZE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE M. BOND, CHAS. J. WILLIAMSON. 

